Abstract:
More than a decade after the formal end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, reconciliation
remains fragile and contested. While post-war state initiatives have
prioritized infrastructure development and economic reconstruction, less attention
has been given to the enduring role of war memory in shaping interethnic
relations and community trust. This study examines how war memory influences
ethnic reconciliation in post-conflict Sri Lanka, focusing on the Eastern
Province—one of the regions most severely affected by the conflict. The research
was conducted between 2022 and 2024 in Karadiyanaru village, Batticaloa District,
using a mixed-methods ethnographic design. Qualitative data were collected
through 30 semi-structured interviews with war-affected civilians, including war
widows, ex-combatants, elders, and community leaders, along with 10 key informant
interviews. Quantitative data were obtained from a simple random sample
household survey of 110 respondents selected from 130 distributed questionnaires.
Thematic and narrative analysis techniques were applied to qualitative data, while
descriptive statistical analysis was used for survey findings. The findings reveal
that collective memories of fear, displacement, insecurity, and loss remain deeply
embedded in everyday life, shaping interpersonal trust and interethnic engagement.
Participants emphasized that state-led memorialization practices often
privilege narratives of military victory while marginalizing Tamil suffering, producing
emotional distress and a sense of exclusion from national reconciliation
frameworks. Material development initiatives such as road construction, housing
schemes, and livelihood programs were perceived as insufficient in addressing unresolved
trauma, demands for recognition, and structural grievances. Respondents
prioritized dignified memorialization, access to death certificates, proper burials,
psychosocial support, compensation, and equitable power-sharing arrangements
as essential components of reconciliation. The study argues that sustainable reconciliation
in Sri Lanka requires integrating memory-sensitive, trauma-informed,
and justice-oriented approaches into national peacebuilding strategies. By foregrounding
survivor testimony and community narratives, this research contributes
to sociological debates on memory politics and transitional justice in post-conflict
societies.
